Atiku, ADC Condemn Alleged Attempt to Arrest El-Rufai At Airport

.Former Kaduna governor says he will not sleep until APC is removed in 2027

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar and the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) have strongly condemned a failed attempt by security operatives to arrest former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, upon his arrival from Cairo, Egypt, on Thursday.

Atiku who disclosed this yesterday on his Facebook page after he paid a solidarity visit to el-Rufai, said the ADC stalwart was unfazed by the incident and remains committed to his vision for a better Nigeria.

“Last night, I paid a solidarity visit to the former Governor of Kaduna State and stalwart of the African Democratic Congress, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, following the failed attempt to arrest him at the airport upon his arrival in the country. He was unfazed by the incident and remains committed to the battle to enthrone a better Nigeria,” Atiku wrote.

The former vice president shared photos from the visit, showing him in a closed-door meeting with el-Rufai at a private residence.

He also accused the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) of acting in a partisan manner. A claim ICPC is yet to respond to as of the time of filing this report.

In the same vein, the ADC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, in a statement yesterday described the incident as troubling and inconsistent with established legal procedures, warning that such actions undermined constitutional safeguards and democratic accountability standards.

According to ADC, the move raises serious concerns about due process and the political neutrality expected of security and law enforcement agencies.

It warned that actions perceived as politically motivated could undermine public trust in democratic institutions and weaken confidence in the rule of law.

ADC said the incident reflected a troubling and growing pattern of selective pressure allegedly targeting opposition figures across the country.

It also decried what he described as a double standard in the ongoing anti-corruption fight.

While maintaining that no individual was above the law, it stressed that the law must never be weaponised against political opponents.

“Reports indicate that security operatives lay in wait for Malam el-Rufai at the airport with the apparent intention to effect an arrest.

“Yet no warrant was presented at the time of the attempted action, raising significant legal and constitutional concerns

“If confirmed, this represents not merely a procedural lapse but a dangerous signal that due process is treated as optional,” the party added.

The statement said that while ADC reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, accountability and rule of law, it rejected the selective targeting of opposition leaders.

“Accountability must be evenly handed, due process must be visible and justice must never wear partisan colours.

“Government must understand that democracy’s strength is measured not by how it treats allies but how it treats critics,” it stated.

The party therefore called on security and law enforcement agencies to remain mindful of their professional constitutional duties.

ADC said it would continue to monitor developments closely and would not hesitate to act wherever democratic norms were threatened.

“Political competition in Nigeria must be settled through persuasion and the ballot, not through selective law enforcement,” it emphasised.

While receiving the former vice president, el-Rufai declared that the opposition must remain resolute in its efforts to unseat the government of President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.

El-Rufai said the incident strengthened his determination to work toward Tinubu’s removal from office.

“Your Excellency, I assure you that what happened today has further reinforced my belief that we must work hard. We must not sleep between now and March 2027 until we remove this tyrant from office,” he said.

He described the airport episode as “unfortunate, totally unnecessary, and probably criminal,” alleging that the ICPC used operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) to detain him and hand him over to the anti-graft agency without prior invitation.

El-Rufai stated that while the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had previously invited him for questioning, his lawyer informed the commission that he was out of the country and would appear on Monday at 10a.m. He maintained that he had received no communication from the ICPC before the airport incident.

The former governor further alleged that the ICPC acted on the orders of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, accusing the government of using security agencies for political purposes. He warned that such actions undermine democratic institutions and claimed the administration was attempting to retain power at all costs.

His words: “Your Excellency, I assure you that what happened today has further reinforced my belief that we must work hard, we must not sleep between now and March 2027 until we remove this tyrant from office.

“Your Excellency what happened at the airport today as you correctly observed is quite unfortunate, totally unnecessary and probably criminal as well.

“This is because agencies have rules of engagement and all I asked for was give me a letter of invitation and I will visit your office.

“But it turned out that it was the ICPC that procured the DSS to abduct me and hand me over to them. The ICPC has never contacted me or sought to invite me up to the point we were at the airport.

“The EFCC had written, inviting me but I was out of the country, my lawyer wrote to them that I will return and be there on Monday at 10a.m.

“ICPC I have never heard anything from them. We understand that it was the ICPC not EFCC that was responsible for what happened.

“ICPC chairman was acting on direct orders from Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser. We have reduced security agencies to be arms of a political party and a government that knows it’s unelectable and wants to remain in power at all cost,” the former governor of Kaduna State said.